Head Football Coach David Cutcliffe Spring Press Conference

OPENING COMMENTS:
This is an exciting time of year for football coaches. It's a new beginning and new opportunity. I don't think the players look forward to these practices as much as the coaches do. Spring practice is about fundamentals and developing a personality as a team. We have a lot of work to do and we are ready to get started. The first thing to establish is how physical we can be as a football team. Several of these players have a lot of practice experience. Now, we need to do our best to create a game-like atmosphere so they have a much smoother transition in the fall.

Q: Can you talk about the transition at QB?
A: People have to realize that we're going from a very experienced quarterback in Eli Manning to a relatively inexperienced quarterback in Micheal Spurlock. Eli was comfortable with everything we do. He knew our schemes, he knew our offensive philosophy and he knew how to run this offense. Micheal is just lacking game experience. He has plenty of practice experience under his belt. He is knowledgeable of what this coaching staff is asking of him. The personality of this team will not change that much with Micheal running the offense. Our goal has always been to play to the strengths of our players. That certainly includes Micheal and the types of things we want him to do within this offense. I would expect to see us run the football and would expect to see some option. That will change the personality of this team a little bit, but we won't stray from our basic offensive philosophy. We will certainly throw the football and, with this group of quarterbacks, we know we can throw it effectively.

Q: When you look ahead to the next season, is the loss of Eli Manning similar to the loss of Peyton Manning (when you were at Tennessee)?
A: From an athleticism standpoint, Micheal Spurlock is similar to (former University of Tennessee QB and current Oakland Raiders QB) Tee Martin. When I was at Tennessee and we lost Peyton to graduation, things were certainly different the next season with Tee. I would expect things to be a little different next year with Micheal. He has been learning the system all along, and, for the most part, that's the system we will continue to have in place. We will just make minor adjustments so that Micheal has a better chance for success as our quarterback.

Evaluating personnel and recognizing strengths are two of the most important things you have to do as a coach. You have to play to the players' strengths. No two players are identical. They are not cloned. Eli Manning and Micheal Spurlock are not the same people. They are not the same players. They are not the same athletically. So, you have to recognize that and you have to adjust to each individual situation.

Q: Will the loss of Eli Manning change your coaching style?
A: I think it will change a little bit because you have to tailor your efforts to the players you have. This offense has always been a good offense using the personnel available. I think we have to focus on our strengths at all positions, but especially at quarterback.

Q: Talk about Micheal Spurlock as a leader.
A: Micheal is a natural leader. He has a lot of charisma and spark. He loves to compete. He lit it up on Friday nights during his high school career. Now, he will have a chance to show us what he can do in the Southeastern Conference. I think his teammates have a lot of confidence in him. I think he will do well as a leader. The biggest issue is 'will Micheal Spurlock be the most prepared player on the field?' That's where you have to start with the quarterback position and I think he needs to accept that role.

Q: Will you and your assistant coaches be patient with this team?
A: I don't think we're going to be patient at all. If anything, we will be in a hurry. We lost a great player (to graduation) in Eli Manning, but we have enough experience coming back to make us a solid football team. We have nearly 30 guys who have played a lot of football. We are going to ask those players to step up. It will be interesting to see how each one responds. If anything, we better have a sense of urgency because there is a lot of work to be done between now and the start of the season. Fifteen days (of spring practice) may seem like a really long time to the players, but it seems like a very short window of opportunity to the coaches.

Q: How will the loss of last year's seniors effect this year's team?
A: We certainly lost a tremendous player in Eli Manning. Right now, there is a lot of focus and a lot of attention on that because he was our leader and quarterback. When you look at the big picture, we lost several great football players who were seniors. It wasn't just Eli Manning. We lost a record-setter in Chris Collins. We lost several defensive-front players like Jesse Mitchell, Josh Cooper, Charlie Anderson, Justin Wade and L.P. Spence. To be honest, the list goes on and on. We lost some people in the secondary who made big contributions. We lost a tailback who made plays for us on a regular basis. We lost several offensive lineman who had steady careers. We were hit by graduation in all areas. It will be crucial that we establish some depth with the returning players and newcomers we have. Players who were asked to play 25-30 snaps for us last year may be asked to play 45-50 snaps for us this season. When we look at personnel, we're not just looking at what we lost with Eli Manning and how we're going to adjust there. We're looking at the entire picture and what we have to do to be the best football team we can be.

Q: On paper, you have a lot of strong first-string offensive linemen coming back, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of experience after that first string. How big of a priority is finding that depth?
A: That's a huge priority. Seeing how these young offensive linemen improve will be one of the most important factors in spring practice. We were at Auburn last year and almost ran out of offensive linemen. You can never have enough offensive linemen because it's such a physical position. Our depth on the offensive line is something that we've talked about as a coaching staff. We hope to get the younger players a lot of snaps this spring.

Q: Can you talk about your defensive philosophy?
A: Each year we try to become faster and more physical on defense. Those are the types of things we try to accomplish with spring practice. We need some of our returning players to step up in those areas. At this point, I can't answer how they will respond to the challenges ahead, but we will know a lot more once we are done with spring practice. Those two factors will be a major part of the evaluation process. We are looking to mold some of these inexperienced players into guys who can make plays in the Southeastern Conference on a regular basis. Right now, we have a lot of things to prove to ourselves.

Q: How do you keep the intensity level up throughout the spring?
A: I think it gets back to how you structure your spring practices. Then, you hope your players buy into the plan. We will have a lot of drills and competitions set up. If they are true competitors, the spring sessions will be intense. I think it also stems from the leaders on this team. We lost a great set of captains, but I know that we have an outstanding group coming back. These returnees now have their opportunity to step up and show us what they can do.

Q: Talk about the special teams.
A: We will work all phases, but we will not be working every phase everyday. We're not going to have a special teams coordinator, but we will have people heading up each unit. I'll be heading up the punt unit myself, but other assistant coaches will be working with us. I expect us to be an excellent punting team with the returning players we have. (Assistant coach) Jay Hopson will head up our punt return unit. (Assistant coach) Marion Hobby will head up our kickoff coverage team and (assistant coach) Matt Luke will head up our kickoff return unit. We will work those units periodically throughout the spring. We're going to make a major emphasis in the area of special teams because we know how important they can be to our overall performance.

Q: Can you give us an injury update?
A: Jamal Pittman will be limited to no contact, but will get some work during our spring practices. I would not expect Tavarus Horne to see any action this spring. Darryl Harris will be very limited coming off of back surgery. He won't be involved in any "live contact" situations. Patrick Willis is coming off of a wrist injury. He will wear a cast, but should be able to participate as if he was never injured.

Q: Can you comment on the upcoming Grove Bowl?
A: I am going to challenge the Ole Miss faithful out there. Our entire team needs to be put in as much of a game-like situation as we can possibly have. We are going to make a big push to get as many people to the stadium as possible for that spring game on April 17. The date is a little later this year, so the weather should be nice. It will also be a busy weekend on campus with our nationally-ranked baseball team hosting Tennessee in a three-game SEC series. I expect to see a lot of people at the football stadium that Saturday afternoon. Hopefully, we can set that (attendance) record.

Q: Do you enjoy opening up the season with a non-conference game?
A: I do enjoy playing a non-conference game to open the season. We certainly have a big game with a quality opponent (Memphis) coming up (Sept. 4). We better be ready."

Ole Miss Quarterback Micheal Spurlock

Q: How have you prepared to take over the starting quarterback position, particularly with spring practice?
A: It started during the bowl game. Eli was at the Heisman Show and we had a few practices without him. It felt weird not having him around. Everybody was looking for Eli, and he was not around. I got a chance to run the team. Everybody was trying to put the pressure on me and see how I handled it. It was fun. I got a little taste of it then. Like Coach Cutcliffe said, it was the beginning of the spring for us. He was trying to see how bad we really wanted to work. He wanted to see our work ethic. It was really fun.

Q: Talk about trying to be you instead of anyone else.
A: I have been doing that for three years now. Everybody wants to know if I am going to be able to fill Eli's shoes. It is not all about that. It is about trying to get the team better and get the team to the next level. We were close to getting to the championship and this year we want to win it. I think it is going to be a team effort in trying to get there.

Q: How do you see your style when comparing it to Eli's?
A:I think my strength is my athletic ability. I am more mobile than Eli was, but he was more accurate. I have been working on my strength and I plan on just going out and trying my best.

Q: Have you prepared for being in the spotlight and what is that like for you?
A:It is kind of weird. You figure it is going to happen. I have been waiting for to happen and now it is here. All the guys tease me about it, but it has not bothered me yet.

Q: Have you noticed any differences with people recognizing you now?
A: People are starting to put my name with my face. When they hear Micheal Spurlock, now it rings a bell. They put together that I am a quarterback at Ole Miss. I have noticed it mostly when I go eat at restaurants. I guess it is starting to play a part.

Q: How has your role changed during the off-season? Are you taking a bigger role in the leadership? A: I feel like I was leader before this off-season, I just was not in the star position. Now I have to step up even more. Everyone looks harder at your faults and everything you do. I am not just an ordinary person anymore, you are the starting quarterback at Ole Miss so you have to carry yourself a little differently.

Q: Coach Cutcliffe has said there will be some style changes in the offense this year, what different styles to you see with the three quarterbacks that might make the changes?
A: I think you have to cater to the talent that you have. All three of us are all more mobile than Eli was, but he was so smart. They are trying to bring us to the level he was on as far as the smarts go. We are different sizes, but we all have our own styles. I think we complement each other.

Q: Have you talked to Eli and what have you learned from him?
A: I had a chance to talk to Eli when he was at the NFL Combine. He called when he was there and asked me how pass-scale was going. He knows it's rough. He told me he understood what I was going through. He told me not to worry about it and to just go out and be a leader. He taught me a lot about work ethic and how to be a student of the game. He taught me about not just letting your talents take over. I think that is what he did better than anybody else in the league. He studied the game. He knew what the defense was doing before they did.

Q: Do you think Coach Cutcliffe is going to cater the offense to your skills like he did for Tee Martin at Tennessee?
A: I think he has to a little bit because I am a little more mobile than Eli. We are going to move the pocket a little bit more so the defense cannot just pin their ears back and know where we are going. I don't think the offense will change that much. We are going to have a few wrinkles here and there, but nothing drastic.

Q: How do you feel right now? Are you nervous or excited?
A: I have a lot of nervous energy. I have been here for three years so I am ready, but I am like some of the fans, I am waiting to see what is going to happen and how things are going to go. I am ready to just go out and compete.

Q: A lot of guys would not have waited for three years to play, what made you stay?
A: To be the best, you have to beat the best. I feel like I have been around the best for the last three years. Eli is probably going to be a first round draft pick, so I have learned a lot and not just from playing. It is not all about playing. Sometimes you can get put in the fire too fast and it all goes down hill from there. I think there is a gradual process to growing and I think I have done that.

Q: Talk about the rest of the offense returning.
A: We have a solid five starters on the line and we are trying to bring along some more guys. With our running backs, I don't think there is anything to worry about. I think we have three of the better running backs you will see in the SEC. They all complement each other. I don't even want to talk about the speed we have at receiver. I think we can be better than we were last year, and it is going to be fun to watch.

Is it important for Ole Miss to have a successful running game early, for you to get comfortable running the offense?
A: I think so because I am a rookie compared to some of the other players. A lot of teams are going to try to put pressure on me early. I think the running game can take a lot of pressure off the quarterback. If it doesn't get started early I believe I can step up and make the decisions and plays that we need to help us win.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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